1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to connectors for joining fluid conduits to a fluid container, and more particularly to a cap structure for the container, incorporating the connectors, means for retaining the connectors in a bent position wherein their walls are collapsed to seal off fluid flow, and means for assuring the order in which the connectors are unbent to an open position.
2. Prior Art
A popular method of reproducing mechanical drawings and the like involves the use of diazo coated papers. The reproduction process involves exposing coated papers to light, through the drawings to be reproduced, and then developing the exposed papers by a combination of ammonia vapor and water vapor. In one type of developing machine, exemplified by the disclosure of U.S. Pat. No. 3,915,708, ammonia and water vapor is derived by pumping air from the development chamber through a container of ammonium hydroxide and connecting the air space above the fluid to the development chamber. In this manner, the air picks up ammonia and water vapor, and carries it to the development chamber. These "vapor-type" machines release minimum amounts of the noxious ammonia vapor to the environment since the developing chamber is vented back to the liquid container through a vacuum system.
After some period of use the ammonium hydroxide becomes depleted of ammonia and the container must be replaced. A considerable amount of pressure may have built up in the bottle so that a large volume of vapor is released when the container is opened. Often the amount of ammonia vapor released under these circumstances causes the nearby air to contain a higher concentration of ammonia vapor than that allowed by government regulations such as those promulgated under the Occupational Safety Hazard Act.
The present invention is broadly directed toward a container suitable for retaining ammonium hydroxide in a sealed, stored condition, and for connecting the container to conduits for diazo development machines, either liquid or vapor without releasing any ammonia vapor into the atmosphere. While the present invention was conceived under the impetus of this particular problem it has application to a broader range of situations wherein it is desirable to provide a sealable outlet for a fluid container.